Volume 12 (2) 2020 – Article (published on 31 March 2020)
Reflections upon boundary complexities in the clinical practice of Croatian and Polish music therapists
Ana Katušić & Ludwika Konieczna-Nowak
Abstract
Boundaries separate and limit the territories of individuals’ needs, feelings, behaviours and thoughts. In the context of therapy, boundaries might be considered a framework for the whole therapeutic process. The focus of this study was to determine how professional boundaries are understood by Polish and Croatian music therapists, and to identify whether there are any differences between these two groups. Twenty music therapists (ten Polish and ten Croatian) participated in the study. Data was gathered using a modified version of a questionnaire by Miller, Commons and Gutheil (2006), with open questions added. The results show differences between the two groups in the perception of behaviours that are regarded as both harmful and beneficial, such as using private spaces, sharing meals, offering gifts, using social media and specific language. Possible reasons regarding these results are discussed.
Keywords
music therapy, therapeutic boundaries, clinical practice, Croatia, Poland
Author Biographies
Dr Ana Katušić worked as a music therapist for 15 years in early intervention and rehabilitation services with infants and children with neurological disorders and deafblindness. Her clinical and research focus included neurological music therapy and physical aspects of sound. Currently she works in the Croatian Institute for Brain Research at the University of Zagreb as a scientific associate in the field of developmental and translational neuroscience. Currently, she is also head of the music therapy programme at the Academy for Arts, University of Osijek. [akatu@hiim.hr] Dr hab. Ludwika Konieczna-Nowak is the head of the music therapy programme at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. In her clinical work, she focused on adolescents with emotional and behavioural challenges. She is vice president of the Polish Music Therapists’ Association and previous editor-in-chief of the Polish Journal of Music Therapy. She is active as a clinician, educator and researcher, presenting and publishing internationally. Her recent interests include aesthetic aspects of music therapy, and combining music therapy with other expressive forms of therapy. [lkonieczna@yahoo.com]